As for the Topic of the Day...
I've dealt with weight issues/problems since my pre-adolescence. It was always sort of strange for me since my three younger brothers have never really been "fat". (However, in retrospect, they were always more active - played team sports, etc., so...) But I digress...
My mother is a registered dietitian, and, unfortunately, I have some rather unpleasant memories from my younger years of being 'reminded' how to eat and what to eat. And since my father was in the Coast Guard, he would, from time to time, try to get me to exercise... Well, sometimes he would make me exercise. -Sheesh, that sounds like I was abused - which I wasn't. It was the age old situation of a parent trying to get their child to do something they did not want to do, something that was good for them. I'm just saying that both my parents were concerned about my weight problems as I was growing up.
Of course, nothing compared to the pressure and various other assorted feelings I dealt with once I got into high school. Kids can truly be very cruel at times.
Once I got into college, I was, more or less, happy with my weight, with my size. Yes, there were many times when I tried to eat healthy food, tried to get in some exercise, but there were also times when that concern was just not a concern.
Fast forward a couple of years later when I'm in my late 20s and early 30s, well... Let's just say that the gay culture can sometimes be crueler than kids. So...
The only "name brand" diets/lifestyle plans that I've been on have been "Body For Life" and "Atkins". BFL sort of worked for me, but I found planning the time to eat all those small meals throughout the day a major obstacle to sticking to the program, to it's success. *I would really love to see a diet plan that is based on a different "clock" - one where one's day starts at 10:00am, and not 6:00am. Atkins worked for me initially - I remember losing eight pounds in the first two weeks. Eventually, that commitment slipped by the wayside, partly because I lost interest, and partly because I began to feel that the whole Atkins protein-heavy plan was not exactly right for me, not good for me.
I did try some of those diet pills a few times. Bleh! They did make me feel hyper, and I didn't like that constant feeling of always being "on". It was just plain weird and unnatural. So...
Last year, 2005, I made a conscious effort to get my life in order, get more things under control. My body was one of those things. There were various attempts throughout the year. Small steps. I had read various diet books and articles over the years, and just started taking the best things - the things I liked, the things that made sense to me - and letting those guide my daily habits. Slowly but surely changing my mindset. My priorities. And then...
As I've been recounting here on HHW, I started a new "plan" the week of Thanksgiving. So far, so good. I had bought that "Slim in 6" series a couple of months back, and I started using it again. And that's been the basis of my exercise routine. The intermediate level is a 45 minute workout, and I used that for the first two weeks, and then advanced workout is just under an hour, and I've been using that since then. Six days a week. I chose the program since it focused on getting trimmer and not on bulking up. Just getting more active, getting a good sweat in.
As for the eating portion of my plan, I've basically just been refraining from eating white sugar and white flour. I haven't totally cut those things out, but I've been making a very conscious effort to keep those things off my dinner plate. I also read Dr. Perricone's latest weight loss book which actually has one of the most sensible diets I've come across. I think there's a bit too much emphasis on dietary supplements, but the part about getting more good fats and essential oils (mainly Omega-3s) back into one's diet really made sense to me. More importantly, although, like in most diet plans, one can lose a "great" amount of weight in the first one or two weeks, after that the weight loss is very gradual, one to two pounds a week. Which is a good thing. The slower it comes off, the slower it is likely to come back on. Not only is your metabolism up, but your mindset is also changed. You're breaking old habits and developing new ones, better ones.
Presently, I'm not exactly sure just how much weight I've lost - and, frankly, after getting on the scale last week, and being disappointed with the numbers, well... However, I'm over that. I can definitely see a difference in my body. I can tell that I've lost weight, and that I've also put on muscle. -And other people are starting to see that difference too - which always helps! I've lost a good inch - more like an inch and a half in my waist - and I can see that "V" starting to develop from my shoulders to my waist.
There was a little blurb on Men's Health about how for every pound of weight lost, you lose a 1/4 inch off your waist. But you have to be careful where you place your tape measure since as you lose weight, your navel will start to shift "up". And, lo and behold, mine has!
Well... This post is turning into a short story... And I do need to get ready to head in for the matinee... So...
Have I said too much?....
